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Doc Sara, Veterinarian

Category: Cat Veterinary

Satisfied Customers: 952

Experience: I am a dog and cat veterinarian with a lifetime of experience in our family veterinary hospital.

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My cats are older and are primarily outdoor cats. The female

Customer Question

My cats are older and are primarily outdoor cats. The female is 13 and the male is 9. Female has a broke back foot. She can walk on it, but a tiny bone is sticking out. And the male was bit I think by something and his the last inch or so of his tail is black and hard but doesn't seem to bother him at all. I am very poor. Is there anything I can do?

Hello, this is Dr. Jess. I am sorry to hear about your kitties. It sounds as if they are both in need of veterinary care, likely surgery. I suspect the male cat has what we call a degloving injury to his tail, and you are seeing dead skin or bone at the tip of his tail. This is a condition that requires amputation of the tip of the tail. As far as the female goes, it is very hard to say what is going to be required without an x-ray, but it sounds as if she is at least going to require suturing and bandaging of the foot if not surgical removal of the bone that is sticking out, depending on how long it has been going on for. In the meantime, I would clean the area if the cats will allow with soapy water and apply a triple antibiotic ointment such as neosporin several times daily to the area. Also keeping the cats indoor as possible to limit exposure to bacteria in the environment.

In terms of seeking help with your veterinary bills, I am going to attach several websites here with information and ideas to try to find help. I would also try to contact your local humane society/aspca/rescue organizations that may be willing to help this kitties out given their need for urgent treatment.

Hi there, I'm Dr. Sara. I'm a licensed veterinarian who works exclusively with cats and dogs. I'm sorry that we haven't been able to connect with you so far via a live chat - are you still in need of help? If so, let us know and we will get back to you as soon as possible.